UPCOMING EVENTS

Netgear has unveiled its second-generation Arlo wireless security camera, with new features such as 1080p high-definition video, optional 24/7 video recording, optional solar power, and support for Amazon Alexa voice commands.

And since you can link the Arlo Pro 2 wire-free security camera to your television, you can now see who’s at the front door without getting off the couch. The previous Arlo Pro camera debuted last fall, and it was a bestseller in the $800 million U.S. security camera market, where Netgear has a 45 percent market share, according to market researcher NPD.

Jimmy Lin, senior product line manager at Netgear, said in an interview that the first Arlo sold more than 3 million cameras to date, and people are viewing 35 million streams a day from Arlo.

“We have a new image sensor and a new lens, and it enables us to have better resolution and let you zoom in on what’s important,” Lin said.

You can watch live monitors of your cameras from the Echo Show and TVs connected with Amazon’s FireTV set-top box, and you can also view videos on your mobile phone, which can be set up for alerts whenever Arlo detects motion. Since the cameras are wireless, you can stick them anywhere on your home or property.

The Arlo Pro 2 uses power-saving chips from Cypress Semiconductor, and the custom Wi-Fi system is designed to enable the cameras to operate in low-power mode. That allows the cameras to operate for months on a single battery charge.

Above: Arlo Pro 2 is inconspicuous.

Image Credit: Netgear

Netgear is selling an Arlo Solar Panel separately, and this enables the rechargeable batteries to be kept fully charged with only a few days of full sunlight.

With the captured video now in 1080p resolution, Arlo Pro 2 cameras can zoom in for even greater detail. The camera has a 130-degree field of view, night vision, and advanced motion detection technology. And it has a built-in speaker and microphone for 2-way communication, so you can scare away a thief or talk with a delivery person at your door.

The second-generation camera also has a new feature — it will now start recording a “look back” video that lets you view activity three seconds before any motion was detected, providing a more complete picture of what occurred. And you can create motion activity zones, highlighting which sections of an image you want Arlo to monitor, via the app.

You can operate the cameras without a subscription. But if you pay a subscription fee, you can continuously record video (24 hours a day), and you can store seven days of video at no extra charge.

You can also connect Arlo Pro 2 to smart home devices through platforms such as IFTTT and Samsung SmartThings. Using the Arlo Skill for Amazon Alexa, you can view live feeds or recorded video from an Arlo camera on the screen of the Amazon Echo Show or the Amazon Fire TV. You can also ask Alexa to “show the front door,” and it will show you the live video feed.

The Arlo Pro 2 Add-on Camera is now available for $220. The Arlo Pro 2 Security Camera System with two cameras and a wireless base station is available now, starting at $480. The previous Arlo camera had a 720p resolution, and the older-generation Arlo Pro sells as an add-on camera for $190.